Tan on Demand finds new home, adds amenities

June 10, 2019

A tanning salon that calls itself Sioux Falls’ “best-kept secret” is moving from its downtown location to a bigger and more visible space.

Tan on Demand is moving to the BridgeView Crossing retail center on West 57th Street near JJ’s Wine, Spirits & Cigars.

The business has operated out of the Gourley Building at 400 N Main Ave. for five years

A number of new clients are drawn in by word of mouth but wouldn’t have known about Tan on Demand otherwise, manager Kylie Ochenga said.

The relocation aims to change that when the doors open July 8.

The move has been in the works for a couple of years, but owner Michelle Hunter really started hunting for a new location in early March.

Hunter said she loves the downtown space, but parking has been a problem and she has wanted to move somewhere more visible as the client list grows. She contemplated a few places in Sioux Falls but said the space on 57th Street stood out to her the most.

“My heart just kept bringing me back to that spot,” she said.

With the move comes the addition of five salon suites to the arsenal of services Tan on Demand already offers.

After only two days of advertising the suite openings, the rooms were filled by five stylists who will offer lash extensions, microblading and cosmetic tattooing, along with all of the standard hair and spray tanning services.

The suites are private rooms that vary in size, but the amenities include a styling chair, wash sink, color station, dryer and vanity mirror already in the suite, so clients won’t have to move to a different part of the salon at any point during their visit.

The stylists also are encouraged to add “their own little flair” of paint, artwork or decor, Hunter said.

After the overwhelming amount of interest local stylists had in working out of the suites, Hunter said she is considering leasing more space in the same retail center to add more specialty suites.

When Hunter started renovating the space, it was just a dirt floor and perimeter walls. So far, the concrete has been poured and the framework built, but she said there’s still a lot to do in the month leading up to the opening.

For now, the business will continue to operate out of its downtown space.

Tan on Demand is the only salon in Sioux Falls where every employee is trained to mix spray colors specific to the client’s skin tone and preferred shade, Hunter said.

“People don’t come in and ask for a three or a two level,” she said. “If a redhead with freckles comes in, we’re going to make sure she’s not getting that dark shade and she’s getting something more natural.”

Clients don’t step into a booth to get their tan but instead are assessed and hand-sprayed by an employee who individualizes the color and contour to each person.

It’s one of the only local places that does air-brush contouring with special equipment that defines certain features like “a Brazilian butt lift with no surgery,” Hunter said.

Each of the employees will continue to run her own appointment schedule at the new location, but there also will be one full-time employee there from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. to greet clients and help with any scheduling questions.

“It’ll be nice to have our name on the building — we don’t currently have that,” Hunter said. “And hopefully that will help us grow.”

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Tan on Demand finds new home, adds amenities

A tanning salon that calls itself Sioux Falls’ “best-kept secret” is moving from its downtown location to a bigger and more visible space.

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